Botfather is a cross-platform automation framework for creating bots that interact with Android, desktop, and web applications.
Automation logic is written in JavaScript, with APIs for tasks such as image matching and interacting with graphical interfaces. It can therefore automate software where conventional command-line or API-driven approaches are impractical, including interfaces that need to be recognised visually. Android automation is supported alongside desktop and browser targets, giving scripts a common environment across several classes of application.
Botfather also includes the Binary Generator Tool, known as bingen, which can turn scripts into cross-platform binaries for easier deployment. The application itself is built with C++ and Qt and uses components including OpenCV for computer vision and Chromium Embedded Framework for browser integration. Linux builds are supported, and the project also maintains Flatpak build infrastructure. Projects can combine visual recognition with JavaScript control logic instead of depending on fixed screen coordinates alone. Its source tree also includes tooling for a helper browser process and continuous integration checks for Flatpak builds.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Write cross-platform automation scripts in JavaScript.
- Automate Android, desktop, and browser applications.
- Use image matching to locate graphical interface elements.
- Create bots for software without dedicated automation APIs.
- Work with screenshots as part of visual automation tasks.
- Interact with Android devices as automation targets.
- Automate web applications through integrated browser support.
- Package scripts as cross-platform binaries with bingen.
- Uses OpenCV for image-processing functionality.
- Uses Chromium Embedded Framework for browser integration.
- Qt-based graphical application.
Website: github.com/botfatherio/botfather
Support:
Developer: Jonathan Ehwald
License: MIT License
Botfather is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
 Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |
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